


Who I Am

by Jathis



Category: Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Genre: Dancing, Fluff, Genderfluid Character, Kissing, M/M, Period Typical Attitudes, Self-Acceptance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-18
Updated: 2020-01-18
Packaged: 2021-02-25 01:20:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22307722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jathis/pseuds/Jathis
Summary: Stanley comes to terms with who they are during the dance
Relationships: LeFou & Stanley (Disney: Beauty and the Beast), LeFou/Stanley (Disney: Beauty and the Beast)
Kudos: 7





	Who I Am

“Stanley, you’re doing it again.” The boy blinked and looked at him and Tom gestured to how his legs were in his saddle. “That’s how  _ women  _ ride a horse, not men.”

Stanley coughed, nodding as he shifted in his saddle until he was astride on it. “Better?”

“Much. You want girls to look at you, oui? They won’t look if they see you riding side-saddle like one of them! We want you married to a nice girl someday, don’t we? Ladies want men who act like men.”

He blushed, idly toying with his hat with the overly large feather in it to avoid making eye contact. “Oui…” he murmured. Tom slapped him on the shoulder once with a smile before kicking his horse into a trot. Stanley watched him go on ahead, mentally willing himself to stop blushing in embarrassment as he followed after him.

***

“Stanley, girls don’t sit like that in petticoats!” Eliana cried. She had found him sitting at a table looking at fabrics, legs spread out as if he were at the tavern in breeches. She lightly smacked one of his knees with a hand fan, using it to direct him on where to put his legs. “You have to sit like that! That’s how a proper lady sits!” she said.

“Better?” Stanley softly asked, pressing his knees together as she had shown him.

“Much better! Now you look like a beautiful and proper lady! No man will be able to resist you! Men want ladies who act like ladies.”

Stanley toyed with the scarf around his neck, nodding a little in agreement, “oui.”

***

“Stanley. Stanley. Stanley!”

They looked up, blinking as they continued the dance. “Hm?”

“You’re on the wrong side!” his partner hissed. “Men don’t dance on that side! Women do!”

“Oh…” Stanley switched sides as partners were switched and resumed the dance.

“Stanley…” their new partner sighed.

“Oui?”

“You’re doing the wrong steps. That’s the women’s steps and you’re on the men’s side! You lead the dance.”

“Sorry…”

“You don’t lead on that side.”

“That’s the wrong steps.”

“You’re doing it wrong.”

“Stanley?”

They blinked, looking up at their new dance partner. “...did I make another mistake?” they asked.

Eloise looked at them knowingly, tilting her head just so. “Non, you’re not making mistakes,” she assured them. “There’s no one way to do this dance and every version is just as pretty as the last.” She smiled up at them, turning so that Stanley was back on the women’s side of the line. “Do what makes you happy,” she said.

They weren’t sure exactly what she meant until they switched partners and Stanley found themselves holding Lefou close in a slow circle. They pushed away any other thoughts but their own, offering Lefou a small smile that was soon returned.

“I’ve never had a partner lead on the women’s line,” Lefou laughed, “I like it!”

“You don’t think I should do it how women do it?”

“Non.”

“Do you think I should switch back to the men’s side?”

“If you did we wouldn’t be having this nice dance,” Lefou said. 

Stanley fought back the prickle of tears forming in their eyes. “Merci.”

“For what?” Lefou asked.

“For letting me be myself.”

Lefou laughed, shaking his head. “I rather like the way you are! I wouldn’t want you to change it for anything,” he said. He blinked when Stanley suddenly kissed him on the ballroom floor, eyebrows raised. Slowly he returned the gesture, cupping their face between his hands to stroke their sideburns. “Well...that was nice,” he laughed when their lips parted.

Stanley pressed their foreheads together and giggled. “This is me. This is who I am,” they whispered.


End file.
